ATLANTA, GA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/06/11 -- Franchise Direct (www.FranchiseDirect.com) has just published the results of an in-depth survey on the attitudes of prospective franchisees that it conducted earlier this year. This franchise industry survey was a rigorous inquiry into the attitudes and expectations of entrepreneurs. Franchise Direct has crunched the numbers and highlighted the findings in colorful, illuminating graphs that create a portrait of the average American prospective franchisee.

Franchise Direct conducted this survey over three months, between August 1st and October 31st, 2011, in conjunction with the website Survey Monkey. Franchise Direct promoted the survey over social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and publicized it in its regular newsletters. Respondents were asked a range of questions in order to discover their opinions on various aspects on franchising. As a whole, 335 people participated in the survey.

This survey shows firstly that the majority of people considering a franchise are already in employment. In fact, an overwhelming number of respondents -- 72% -- had management experience. As for why respondents were considering opening a franchise, a majority said they were looking to run their own business, but did not want to start from scratch. A broad majority of prospective franchisees also said they will seek the assistance of a CPA, a lawyer, and, interestingly, a franchise consultant, in process of selecting a franchise.

Prospective franchisees also provided opinions on the kind of franchise they hoped to open. Food franchises were the winner, with business services franchises second favorites and vending opportunities third. Potential earning power was the most important factor for prospective franchisees, though training and support programs, and the franchise fee itself, were of almost equal importance.

This is just a sampling of the raw data that emerged from the Franchise Direct survey. The findings of this survey prove truly informative for franchisors and small business experts who are trying to get inside the minds of entrepreneurs and prospective franchisees. This survey is one of the most thorough examinations of franchisees' attitudes conducted in recent years and should be read by all people in the franchising industry.

About Franchise Direct: Franchise Direct (www.franchisedirect.com) is one of the world's leading portals for franchise and business opportunities. Their American center is in Atlanta, Georgia and they can be contacted on 1-866-325-9830.